[Territorial inequality in access to residential care for the aged in Spain]

Spain has a shortage of beds in care homes for the aged, although this does not affect all territories equally. The aim of the study was to identify geographical areas of supply and demand imbalance using ad-hoc created units of analysis.

Through road network analysis, using basic health areas as a starting point, the national territory was divided into 668 units. The rate of residential beds per person over 85 years old in each unit was calculated. A minimum of 0.2 was considered adequate.

Five thousand five hundred sixty-seven care homes, 393,403 beds, and 1,600,700 people over 85 years old were identified. Spatial availability analysis showed two groups of autonomous communities: those where the majority of the aged population resided in units with adequate supply (Madrid, Basque Country, Cantabria, Catalonia, Castile and León, Navarre, La Rioja, Aragon, Extremadura, Castile-La Mancha, and Asturias) and those where the majority resided in units with inadequate or no supply (Andalusia, Balearic Islands, Galicia, Region of Murcia, Valencian Community, and Canary Islands).

Availability in homes for the aged in Spain in 2023 presented a concerning situation in its territorial distribution, with a notable deficit in the island communities, the Mediterranean coast (except Catalonia), and Galicia. Spatial analysis is a useful tool for planning health and social resources, as it identifies areas of supply and demand imbalance.